Revolutionising education system: ICT key in STEM — Ministry
Students across all levels of education must be equipped with relevant skills in information and communications technology (ICT) to position them for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
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This is because there was ample evidence that the use of ICT in other jurisdictions had revolutionised science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by empowering students with interactive learning experiences, global resources and practical skills relevant to the modern world.
A STEM Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Education, Prof. Mark Adom-Asamoah, made the call in his presentation at the second National Digital and Distance Learning Conference held at the Labadi Beach Hotel.
The advisor stressed that for the country to change how businesses operated to deliver value within the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it was necessary to infuse ICT in the county’s education system to ensure a seamless integration of technology that drove efficiency, innovation and competitiveness in the modern era.
“We need to ensure that all these students are compliant for ICT and industry 4.0,” he added.
His presentation was on the topic, “The role of ICT in STEM education” as part of the two-day national conference on distance learning.
Conference
The conference was organised by the Centre for National Distance Learning and Open Schooling (CENDLOS) on the theme: “Reimagining education: A call on multi-stakeholder coordination and action for equitable access to digital and distance learning in Africa”.
It was organised in partnership with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the World Bank and the Ministry of Education (MoE).
The conference featured a panel discussion on digital infrastructure challenges in developing economies with emphasis on connectivity.
Access
The Deputy Minister of Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, said the advent of digital learning was a call that needed to be embraced by all stakeholders to expand access to education, adding: “Let us not restrict access to education to the size of infrastructure”.
He added that the country must reposition itself to leverage the benefits of digital learning platforms to ensure that no child was left behind.
The government, he said, was repositioning the country’s education system to produce graduates with relevant industry-demand skills.
In line with that Rev. Fordjour disclosed that the government was constructing kindergartens with smart working tools to create an enabling environment for the pupils to thrive.
Coordination
The UNESCO Country representative, Abdourahamane Diallo, underscored the need for stronger partnership among the government, civil society organisations, donor partners and the private sector.
That, he said, would create the needed synergies to provide accessible, relevant and rich content for learners.
“We need strong coordination on the government side and the partner side.
We need to speak the same language with the government, technical and financial on these critical issues”, he stressed.
For his part, the Executive Director of CENDLOS, Nana Gyamfi Adwabour, said capacity building was one of the key issues with the implementation of digital learning at various schools.
He, therefore, stressed the need for continuous education of teachers to ensure that they were equipped with the relevant skills to implement things on digital learning platforms.
Virtual SHSs
On the opening day of the conference, the Minister of Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, announced the introduction of the Virtual Senior High School (V-SHS) programme across the country.
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The initiative, the minister said, the marks a significant step towards modernising Ghana's education system.
It will enable students study through digital platforms with an expert teacher as the conductor.
The platform would provide blended learning methodology in the schools while providing opportunities for adult learners to remotely participate in the free SHS education online.